Rich Houseman forged a successful career as an American mountain bike racer in the late nineties and early 2000s. Taking wins in downhill, dual slalom, 4x and dual, Rich has seen all the different trends and changes that mountain bike racing has taken over the last two-and-a-half decades. As his race career wound down, he found himself at a company called Sponsorhouse, which managed athlete and brand sponsor partnerships. Sponsorhouse changed its name to Hookit and Rich has remained an integral part of the business for 19 years. He continues to oversee athlete and sponsor relations and discusses how Hookit uses data-driven information to help companies and riders succeed in their marketing efforts.Thanks to JENSON USA and MAXXIS TIRES for supporting The Inside Line MTB podcast.Watch this podcast on YouTube Discussion Topics0:00 - Introduction and Fontana7:10 - BMX to Basketball to Downhill16:50 - World Champs DH in Cairns19:57 - First Sponsors, Racing for Tomac24:54 - Slalom, Dual & 4X30:59 - Bike Setup Back in the Day34:28 - Why Did 4X Die?35:56 - Proudest Racing Moment38:08 - Making a Living Racing MTB42:48 - Discovering Aaron Gwin54:05 - Sponsorhouse to Hookit1:00:17 - From MTB Racer to Desk Job1:06:26 - Social Media's Impact on MTB Sponsorship1:19:53 - What Makes a Successful Social Media Pt?1:32:52 - Difficulties Female Athletes Face on Social Media1:35:27 - Athletes Succeeding on Social Media1:40:14 - Leticia Bufoni using Hookit1:47:32 - Lew Buchanan Riding for OnlyFans1:51:22 - Wyn Masters' Sponsor Value1:56:11 - Dad Life#MTB #Mountainbike #bike

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